Sunday, March 4, 2018

The Gauntlet is one of the dungeon areas that are part of the mega-dungeon Sorrow (the Shame of Haven). The details of the first level of the Gauntlet are both well known and a close guarded secret by the Guild of Defenestration. The second level, known as The Great Hall, is ... different. It is larger, ancient, and something unexpected.

Generating the Great Hall
The initial area is a crossroads - a junction where each of the 4 halls are 30' wide and go 120' before. After each section, roll to see what the next chunk looks like: 3d10 for Passage, Width, and Pitch; then again for specifics like what kind of side passage or number of chambers

1d10

Passage

Width

Pitch

Side

Y

Ruins

Landmark

Chambers

1

Straight 1d6x60

10

Rise

Left, backward

Base

Citidael

Statue

1d4

2

Straight 1d6x60

20

Slight Rise

Left, forward

Base

Temple

Fountain

1d6

3

Straight 1d6x60

20

Slight Rise

Left, forward

Base

City

Old Battle

1d6

4

Straight 1d6x60

30

Flat

Left, stright

Base

Workshops

Camp

1d8

5

60' T

30

Flat

Left, stright

Base

Gardens

Doomguard

2d4

6

60' Side

30

Flat

Left, stright

Equal

Tombs

Graffiti Walls

2d4

7

60' Y

30

Flat

Right, backward

Equal

Great Chamber

Fortifications

2d6

8

60' X

30

Flat

Right, forward

Equal

Tower

Great Pillars

2d6

9

Landmark

40

Flat

Right, forward

Left

Fortifications

Magical Residue

3d4

10

Chambers

40

Slight Fall

Right, stright

Left

Rubble

Giant Skeleton

3d6

11

Ruins

50

Slight Fall

Right, stright

Right

Heavy Rubble

Great Bettle Shells

4d4

12

Ruins

60

Fall

Right, stright

Right

Blocked Passage

Ghost Infestation

5d6

T-Intersection: The passage splits left and right

X-Intersection: The passage continues left, right, and forward.

Y-Intersection: This gets an extra roll for the specific type of intersection. Bottom, Left and Right are in relation to a Y passage where the split 45 degrees from the stem of the Y. Equal indicates a Y intersection, each passage 120 degrees from the next.

Side Passages: This gets an extra roll. Left and right are pretty obvious. Forward and Backward are 45 degree splits based on the direction of travel, straight is a side passage that is perpendicular.

Pitch: Slight rise and slight fall are likely not noticed, rise and fall are obvious to every adventurer. They might be a gradient, some sort of fault like a huge drop or cliff, or grand stairs. Up to the GM because I forgot to add it options to the table.

Landmarks: This gets an extra roll. Big picture stuff -landmarks are tremendous locations that can be used to get one's bearings in the impossibly huge Great Halls. The GM should have some fun and spice these landmark locations. Roll 1d8 again on the Passage table to figure out exits from this feature, or not, whatever.

Ruins: This gets an extra roll. Once great structures that now lie in ruins; like super-destroyed. These are much like landmarks (and are landmarks) but their ruination tends to attract horrible monsters. The GM should double the chance of any creatures that are here of having a lair. Roll 1d8 again on the Passage table to figure out exits from this feature, or not, whatever.

Chambers: This gets an extra roll. Effectively, these are dungeons within the dungeon. The exact size and configuration of the chambers are left up to the GM. If doubles are rolled, there is a second level, triples indicates 3 levels, and so on. Each level uses the same dice to roll for number of rooms, but ignore doubles except from the first roll. The GM can roll 1d8 again on the Passage table to figure out exits from this feature, or not, whatever.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Having players populate aspects of the campaign is always fun. So here are some mechanics.

Whenever the GM likes (for example at the beginning of a campaign) or players like (for example they really want a location to exist), a player gets to describe something - an NPC, location, group, item, whatever. Keep in mind this has much potential for abuse, so don't be a jerk about it.

The player describes as much or as little as they like. Then roll 2d6+something vs the GM's 2d6+Plausibility.

The +something will be based on what the description is about and how they know about it. The GM should choose the appropriate attribute modifier. Players may not Give It Their All (spend END to improve the roll).

Plausibility is a modifier from +0 to +6 based on the description and how reasonable this sort of thing would be. The GM needs to also not abuse this, so don't be a jerk to deny players cool things and quash creativity. The player does not get to know the results of the description.

Not only wrong, but wrong in a way that could be of significant danger.

In any case, the players can see the player-side roll results to get a feel for how strong this description they've provided is.

A Sweet Example
Tyler the Templar really wants to root out a Doomsday cult to impress his superiors in the Guild of Defenestration. The GM asks about the cult, and the description is as follows:

The Siblings of the Red Dawn believe that the Others were sent to cleanse the world of sin, and the Dome stops them from completing their mission; if Haven is destroyed the world will be at peace. They have a prophet that is rising in power.

The GM thinks this is Likely (Plausibility 0).

Result

Description Effects

Legendary Success

The Red Dawn is ripe for a schism as their prophet is making several members uncomfortable. With a little nudge the entire cult will collapse in on itself in a very public display.

Critical Success

Pretty much as described.

Success

The prophet is actually a MirrorTwin from the Underworld, driving the cult to destroy the Dome so he and his brethren can run rampant in the World of Light

Failure

The cult actually has a plan an infiltrated the Magistarium!

Critical Failure

The Red Dawn are a cult that worships a barely-living Patchwork Daemon that babbles incoherent gibberish the cult takes as fact. Their goal is to topple the Church of Eternal Light and humiliate the Templar.

Legendary Failure

The Red Dawn is actually a corrupt sect of the Hammers that have several ties to figures of political influence. They wish to bring down the "Culture of Strife" caused by the nobility and the influence of the Magistarium, but their schemes are mostly talk. They are effectively a social club with meaningless rituals, but getting involved will cause the PCs some serious strife within Haven.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

I had an idea this morning - it needs to be fleshed out a bit more, but I think there is some merit.

When a character hits a target, but before they roll damage, they can declare how many points of damage they would like to convert into a control move. A control move is something like "disarm the target" or "shove them into a spiked wall". Damage dice are rolled and any control move points are removed from the damage. If the character still managed to cause any damage to the target (past DR) then the target must pass an opposed roll to avoid the move.

Example
Bill the barbarian attacks the Hyperghoul trying to eat his face. Bill hits, and before he rolls damage he declares "3 points to knock the ghoul prone". If the damage roll is less than 5 (the hyperghoul has 1 DR) then nothing happens. If the damage roll is 6 or higher, the ghoul takes a bit of damage and a potential knockdown. Bill rolls 2d6+3 vs the GM's 2d6+1 (the +1 from the monster's danger value / 3 as standard for all non-specific monster rolls). If Bill is successful, the hyperghoul is now lying on the ground.

The specific effects of a combat move may need to interpreted by the GM. The GM of course can add bonuses to things - knocking down a large target is harder than a medium one, and shoving a rhino is pretty unlikely.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Dungeoneers encounter a lot of weird and terrible things. Eventually they get used to it, their sense of terror dulled by repeated encounters with the horrors of the Underworld. Here are some game mechanics to deal with it. When the adventurers encounter some serious weird shit:

Run away screaming for 5 minutes, then hyperventilate until things are better

5

Everything Out

Evacuate bowels and bladder, drop everything, and roll 1d4 on the Freak Out Table

6

Catatonic

Go full on catatonic for 1d6 hours even after things are better

7

Berserk

Attack everything because you can now see everyone is one of THEM! things may never get better ...

8

Broken

Permanently lose 1 WIT and roll 1d4+4 on the Freak Out Table

"Things are Better"
This is entirely subjective and up to the GM and the situation. Monsters may need to be defeated or shown to be able to be defeated, the tide may need to turn for a battle, the character may need to be dragged away from the horrible sight, or whatever makes sense.

Ignoring Weird Shit
If the character's Jaded Points are equal to or more than the weird thing, no roll is needed; the situation has no effect on the character. Characters always begin with 0 Jaded Points until they get to adventuring.

Conditional Success
If anyone chooses a conditional success they don't freak out but, as usual, the GM will add something unpleasant to the situation. Suggestions are phobias, ticks, or odd behaviors than manifest and increase intensity over several gaming sessions.

OSR Rules
Not using playing Sorrow in Haven? Understood.

Replace WIT with WIS modifier (using the good old -3 to +3).

Replace Danger with Monster HD or Dungeon Level or encounter level or some gauge of how weird/bad the situation is on a scale from 1 to 10.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Sorrow in Haven has a unique mechanic in which the adventurer crew can defeat the "living" dungeons. All dungeons have a Heart that, if destroyed (or mitigated/resolved), will silence the dungeon and stop its growth. The Heart may be a creature, on object, or something more abstract. If the Heart is not dealt with the dungeon will repopulate itself and may continue to grow.

Types of Hearts
If the GM needs some inspiration, roll 1d6 to determine the type of dungeon heart.

1d12

Heart

1 - 8

Creature

9 - 11

Object

12

Concept

Creatures
Monsters at the heart of the dungeon are the most common. In the local parlance of the Guild of Defenestration, these are referred to as the "Boss" of the dungeon. These creatures are invariably more powerful than the general inhabitants of the dungeon, either through physical power (a blood ogre), influence (sneaky goblin sorcerer), or a combination of the two (the much feared dragon). On rare occasion the creature is something innocuous (hellcat kitten) or difficult to identify (invisible stalker).

1d12

Heart

Example

1 - 5

Powerful

Irulux the brute, a demon hound that eats only ash and tears.

6 - 8

Influence

Bishop Crux, an undead cleric that controls a doomsday cult.

9 - 10

Power + Influence

Dormut the Dragon, a massive beast with mind control.

11

Innocuous

Terr, the lost goblin of which the dungeon is her nightmare.

12

Hidden

Os, the ghost of a faerie prince who does not know he is dead.

Object
Objects have the greatest range of possibilities. Since dungeons are often thought to be shadows of places that the Underworld has already spread, objects are often localized/specific to the dungeon, but just as easily can be wildly anachronistic or out of place. Heart objects could be living things that are not "monsters", relics, or treasures that are worshiped by the denizens. Removing relics and treasures from the dungeon have the same effect as destroying them, but there may be other consequences once removed from the dungeon.

1d12

Heart

Example

1 - 4

Localized

Altar of Ket, stained with blood of sweat of the enslaved.

6 - 7

Anachronistic

Simon's Pocket watch, ticking backwards, forever broken.

8 - 9

Living Thing

The Red Oak that lives within the Gardens of Kesh.

10

Relic

The Eternal Chain, unbreakable links and unthinking torment.

11 - 12

Treasure

Crown of Darvik, a horned skull wrapped in flame.

Concept
These are simply the most complex dungeons to resolve, because the concept could be an emotion that needs to be eliminated (fear of the light), a resolution to a conflict (broker a peace between the Almec and Frinda factions), or even more abstract (suffer in salt). The GM will provide numerous clues as to the concept and the players need to determine the solution. These dungeons are thankfully rare, for they provide the most complex challenges to the Guild (and to players).

Repercussions
When the heart of the dungeon has been dealt with, the dungeon will eventually seal up and their shadow fades. How this manifests itself is different from dungeon to dungeon.

1d6

Heart

1

The Slow Burn

2

Immediate Collapse

3

Fade Away

4

Everything Stops

5

Lingering Rot

6

Emptiness

The Slow Burn
With the destruction of the heart, the dungeon begins to erode slowly but surely. It doesn't collapse, but the entire dungeon takes on a wavering astral quality as parts of it simple cease to exist. Area disappear at about 1 per hour, but not in any particular order. Dungeoneers can explore a bit more, but if trapped will simply disappear with everything else.

Immediate Collapse
This happens fast - usually within a minute or two of the heart being dealt with. The dungeon literally begins to collapse in on itself - walls tumbling, rooms erupting, stone and smoke and dust covering everything. When this happens, the dungeoneers had best beat a hasty retreat, because lingering for even a few moments can seal their fate. Many have lost their lives escaping collapsing dungeons.

Fade Away
This is similar to the slow burn, but the entire dungeon begins to fade into non-existence at once. Everything becomes more shadowy and obstacles and creatures can no longer affect the party. The fade is fairly quick, so tarry too long and one will find themselves in the Gloom. A few intrepid souls have managed to come back from the Gloom, but never return as they went in.

Everything Stops
The dungeon becomes frozen in time - it is a mural or statue, a point of history that never existed. Dungeoneers can linger and learn, but as soon as they leave the place no longer exists. Looting is not an option as everything takes on a 2-dimensional quality. Some Lore Keepers have keep a dungeon in this state open for some time to study it, but they are in danger of causing the Underworld to erupt anew - and it is always much more dangerous that it was before.

Lingering Rot
Everyone hates the lingering rot. The dungeon begins to rot as though it were a living creature. Walls bleed, creatures fall apart and decay, the place fills with stinking goop and wretched miasma. These places linger for a few days, and the area in which they burst into the World of Light fester a bit as well. Those who explore a dungeon that is rotting are at extreme risk of contracting some rather nasty diseases.

Emptiness
Some dungeons without a heart stop being a threat and become utterly devoid and empty, but do not disappear. They no longer birth traps and beasts not hold relics and treasure. They are empty rooms and chambers that are often taken over by the citizens of Haven (for good or bad). The Undercity is built from these places. What is most disconcerting is that some of them hold passages deeper into the Underworld ...

Monday, December 11, 2017

Wandering monsters are cool, but I've always wanted more than just monsters - I want events! Events are not necessarily encounters or things the players can directly interact with, but more along with the lines of dressing and setting and tone.

Spores - this helps identify that the dungeon is dangerous
The air quality is pretty terrible in this dungeon because of the spores and pollen. Characters have to pass a CON save or start to cough and sputter. Characters lose some END, but don't know how much until they lose it through damage or Giving it Their All.

Plants - these events show that the dungeon is alive
The Gardens are a living place where plants have gone crazy. When this result comes up, roll 1d6:

The party will be split as the plants fill the
corridor/room

PC pined against the wall/floor and takes 1d4
damage every 10 counts

Random item is lost in the bramble

Vines produce a prodigious amount of green berries

Vines produce orange fruits

Plants flower that stink like corpses and ooze
blood

Conflict - the conflict results shows the dungeon is contested

There are two factions already in conflict in this dungeon. In an area within earshot, the crew can hear the two factions fighting.

Facility - these results show history and background

The dungeon used to be Lab 44A Advanced Botany Facility and while mostly defunct, still functions from time to time. Roll 1d6.

Pages a scientists to the observation deck

Sprinklers turn on/off

Air Quality update (Evacuate / Warning / Concern / Resolved)

Emergency Red Lights turn on/off

Underfoot plumbing makes a racket (50% rumbling as well)

Electronic
beeping coming from 1-3 a small speaker in the wall, 4-6 all over the damn
place

So every turn there is a 57% chance that SOMETHING happens. This is a seriously active place. Of the events that do take place, the majority (57%) are things that set the tone and describe the dungeon, may impact play mechanically, or may allow for some problem solving or interaction. The rest (43%) are encounters with a random monster (including the factions) or a definitely faction encounter (lair meaning nearest lair).

Lair Encounter is particularly useful too - as monster "lairs" are changed through play, the encounter table changes simply because the closest lair is something different - faction A is nearly wiped out? Faction B starts showing up more often.

All of this makes this particular dungeon incredibly interactive and busy outside of the keyed areas. One could easily drop the roll rate to every other turn or roll every turn on 1d20 to lighten the activity load.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

With a new campaign comes the question of monsters. Having all new monsters adds a level of surprise, but i also want players to be able to learn, so if everything is new every time, then they can't make strategic decisions (just tactical ones). So I've decided on two things

a mix of classic fantasy monsters and new content

to group the monsters into sets

Set 1: Dungeon Specific Monsters
These are the monsters that live in a specific dungeon. They are often going to be unique things or variants of other more common creatures.

Set 2: Dungeon Type Monsters
Since there is a semi-formal classification of dungeons, similar creatures will be found in all of them. Deshi spearmen can often be found in Garden dungeons, while Children of Silence (a type of undead) are found in Tomb dungeons with fair regularity. Some will be classic and some new.

Set 3: Dungeon General Monsters
These are the buggers that just show up anywhere and will comprise a lot of the classic creatures - fire beetles, giant rats, skeletons, goblins and the like.

These three sets also apply to wilderness settings once I get that far
Set 1: Monsters that live in The Upturn'd Glade
Set 2: Monsters that live in Forest settings
Set 3: Monsters that can be found in any wilderness setting

Stocking & Wandering
But back to the dungeons, once I've got the basics and clearly defined encounters and need to flesh things out, when a random stocking roll calls for a monster I'll roll 1d6:

1-3: Dungeon Specific

4-5: Dungeon Type

6: Dungeon General

But on the random encounter table, when a random monster is called for:

1-3: Dungeon General

4-5: Dungeon Type

6: Dungeon Specific

The reason that the specific creatures get a lesser value is that there is a entry on my random encounter table that is for "Creatures from the Nearest Lair" which are always going to be dungeon specific monsters.

Phantasmagorica
One of the treasures that will be discovered through adventuring are pages from the Phantasmagorica, which is basically the monster manual / monstrous compendium / hacklopedia of beasts for the Sorrow in Haven campaign. Players can add these to a binder and throw whatever additional information they see fit on there - add/remove/whatever. Once it is in the binder, it is "common" knowledge.

Lore Keepers
Speaking of monster lore and common knowledge, the Guild Of Defenestration also has some info on monsters, but it is the most common of knowledge - if any exists at all. It is a source for players to get some insight into what their characters know, a little helping hand that makes sense within the campaign structure. It is not, however, a library of useful facts that can be mined. No telling if what the Lore Keepers know is even true.